Thanks to Jenelle Bryant, a former reading interventionist, some of the youngest learners in Washington, D.C., are on a trajectory to read on grade level. Bryant worked intensively with small groups of students each semester who were reading below grade level. She used data to design individualized cross curricular lessons as an early intervention strategy which provided an opportunity to close the gap and change children’s trajectories. Bryant’s “discontinuation rate,” representing students whose reading skills improve enough that they no longer need her help, was an impressive 88%, significantly higher than both D.C. Public Schools and the national average.
As an educational consultant, Bryant works with current and future teachers to improve literacy strategies and outcomes for all students. Energetic and dynamic, Bryant centers her practice around making sure all learners’ needs are met while also finding joy in learning. She aligns all of her work with equity, leading professional development around anti-bias practices and pushing her constituents to examine their biases and question their thinking. Jenelle works at CORE Learning as a Language and Literacy Facilitator to support asynchronous online courses specifically tailored for educators in language-diverse classrooms.
Currently, she is the managing director of a private structured literacy tutoring practice she co-founded in Washington D.C., Reading Ready DMV. Jenelle volunteers as an Educational Surrogate Parent with OSSE (the Office of the State Superintendent of Education) and as a Volunteer Lead with Heart of America to serve marginalized students and communities. Jenelle is completing her LETRs (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) for Administrators training to help educators sustain high quality literacy instruction.
Press release: D.C. Educator Receives $25,000 Milken Educator Award for Helping her Students Master Literacy
"You don't get into teaching for money or accolades. You..." (read more)